I am SO butter-up-able.

My second-least-favorite class is really small.  It had six students, but the best student switched hagwons two weeks ago, so now there are just five.  Unlike my first-least-favorite class, who I dislike because they're dreadfully lazy and never do their homework, my second-least-favorite class actually has pleasant students.  But with them, the trouble is that they're very shy, they have very quiet voices, and they're much lower-level than they should be.  I think these kids must have started out in bigger classes where they could shut their mouths and skate by because the teacher never heard how little they were capable of saying.  Of course, now that all the silent low-level kids are in my class together, I'm forced to cheerlead and play charades until they understand.  And once they understand, getting them to speak audibly is a whole other mountain to scale.  It's EXHAUSTING.

The most redeeming part of that class is one tiny, lovely first-grader named Lilly.  Lilly just joined the class in September, and she's the sweetest creature you'll ever meet.  Plus, she's one of those kids who adores school and adores her teachers, so her presence in my class definitely massages my ego.

To wit: Lilly's "first day of school" diary, which I just graded.  The assignment was to write about the first day of school, but Lilly seems not to have understood that.  I don't care, though.  She's a card-carrying member of the Lori Teacher Fan Club, so she can write about whatever she wants.

The First Day of School

I like favorite game.

I like my Lori teacher.

Because I give to special sticker.  [She meant "because she gives me special stickers."]

I like special sticker.

And I am on the strainacontest.  [That was supposed to be "I'm in the speech contest."]

Because the story long.

But I can do it.  ^.^

I am very on the stainacontest.

I am very love Lori teacher.

Because Lori teacher is sweety smell.

good buy ~ ~

- from -

- Lilly -

She followed me home.....can I keep her?